accent pillow case baby burlap

Sometimes you just have to look at things a little differently. Take this utility cabinet in Annie’；s kitchen. When Annie bemoaned her lack of an office space in her new home， friend and professional organizer Judy Moss pointed straight to the cabinet. Why not create a tidy little office right beside the kitchen counter， Annie’；s favorite place to work， pay bills， and surf online？

Annie started by clearing out the cabinet and relocating its household cleaning supplies—which didn’；t actually need to be near the kitchen—into a nearbyaccent pillow case baby burlap housewarming gift， unused lowboy. She removed the existing shelving and painted the inside the same pale grey as the rest of the house， which not only lightens the feel of such a small space but also makes it easier to find items inside.

Then she installed pull-out shelves on tracks from The Home Depot. This makes everything—from her hanging-file box to her printer and desktop supplies—easily accessible. (Lucky for Annie， electrical and phone wiring were already in the cabinet， so all she had to do was hook up her equipment.) To maximize her use of the space， she also installed a magnetic board on the door for storing invitations and other important reminders， which keeps them organized and off her countertops. Because Annie’；s a big believer in little details that make a big difference， she framed the magnetic board in the same trim as the rest of her home.

She put lesser-used items in the bottom drawer， t0 minimize bending， in clear plastic containers， and placed all the important stuff front and center， where it’；s easy to grab. She added in some fun， colorful accessories for a lively look， and， of course， all the standard office essentials.

The final result is polished and professional， and， in a pretty tiny space (about 85″； high by 22″； wide by 24″； deep)， blends a fully functional office seamlessly into Annie’；s kitchen.

If you’re not going to give a bottle of wine, give great glassware that they can use over and over again. “I was given a two-pack of Zalto Universal glasses as a Christmas gift from a distributor while working at the Breslin,” says Carla Rza Betts, certified sommelier and co-founder of an Approach to Relaxation, “and it changed my glassware game forevermore. Zalto Universals are simply the best glass to get a clear look at both reds and whites, in my opinion. They allow you to get lost in the aromas within the glass while exhibiting the wine in an almost artlike way.” Betts isn’t alone in her admiration of Zaltos. Most sommeliers and wine lovers I’ve spoken with rave about this wine glass, holding it up as the gold standard, and a set of these glasses is a gift that’ll last a lifetime.

photo: lauren malkasian

Ever gotten a gift with your name, initials or catchphrase on it? If you’re nodding yes, you know firsthand the warm and fuzzy feeling you experienced. Personalized gifts are just better, right? Now imagine being the intensely advanced and wonderful-in-every-way giver of such gifts. You’ve just solidified your newly minted spot as the gift whisperer. We’ve got five bulletproof reasons to make personalized gifts your go-to for all your favorite people.